Competencies for Sustainable Development in University Education: Challenges and Opportunities
A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1550
Special Issue Editors
Interests: education for sustainable development; gender equality and equity; research on coexistence and conflicts in the educational context
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: education for sustainable development; key competencies; identity and gender
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: gender equality in higher education institutions; education for sustainable development; teacher training; integration of information and communication technologies in teaching and learning processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The training of professionals capable of meeting the 21st-century environmental, social, and economic challenges is not just a local or regional concern, but a global imperative. Therefore, competency-based education has become a priority that transcends borders and disciplines.
Competencies for sustainable development enable people to act responsibly, critically, and ethically with a long-term vision. They aim to drive a transformation towards a more equitable and just society. These essential competencies are systems thinking, critical thinking, anticipatory thinking, normative, strategic, collaborative, and complex problem-solving skills. These are essential to address global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, social inequality, and resource scarcity. Promoting these competencies empowers individuals to make informed and responsible decisions and to act as agents of change in their communities and professions. At the institutional level, integrating sustainability in higher education generates significant benefits. It fosters interdisciplinary research, reinforces social responsibility, promotes pedagogical innovation, facilitates access to funding, strengthens links with society and the labour market, and increases the prestige of universities. However, it also presents challenges such as the rigidity of curricula, the lack of teacher training, the absence of adequate mechanisms for evaluating competencies, and the limited resources of universities.
This Special Issue aims to disseminate and share research, experiences, and best practises on integrating competencies for sustainability in the training of future professionals in all fields of knowledge. We invite the submission of manuscripts addressing the development of competencies in the following areas:
- Social Sciences and Law: Business Administration and Management, Law, Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Education, Tourism, Advertising and Public Relations, Communication Sciences, and Geography, among others.
- Sciences: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geology, Environmental Sciences, Biotechnology, and Marine Sciences, among others.
- Health Sciences: Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and Psychology, among others.
- Engineering and Architecture: Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mining Engineering, and Architecture, among others.
- Arts and Humanities: History, Philosophy, Philology, Translation, and Interpretation, among others.
Dr. Gladys Merma-Molina
Dr. Diego Gavilán-Martín
Dr. Mayra Urrea-Solano
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- university education for sustainable development
- skills for sustainable development
- health and wellness
- renewable energies
- human rights
- corporate responsibility
- social sciences and law
- engineering and architecture
- arts and humanities
- higher education
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